Very low voltage in only one room

[SKYMTL]

This is an odd problem that I have at my new place and it happens to be in the one room I use for all my hardware testing.

Basically, the output voltage of my sockets in this one room is steady at around 116V. That is pretty low to begin with but the second I start any one of my systems (even one which pulls about 120W from the wall) the voltage instantly drops to around 105V.

Luckily I have a Tripp Lite line conditioner installed which brings the voltage back up to ~120V but it has come to the point that I REALLY need something done about this.

The CFLs I use flicker noticeably (due to the sub-110V output) when plugged into one of the wall sockets which causes some major eye strain. To make matters worse, my laser printer which isn't plugged into the line conditioner causes the voltage to go haywire.

So, what can I do in this situation? It affects all 4 sockets in the room and completely rewiring is out of the question at this point.

[Oklahoma Wolf]

Check all outlets and wiring back to the breaker panel, would be where I'd start.

[bbcake009]

Make sure you are not late paying your electric bill....

[cypherpunks]

You have a loose and/or corroded connection on your house wiring. If you look, you'll find all the outlets in that room are connected to one circuit and one circuit breaker. The first place to check is the breaker box itself and the screw terminal on the breaker.

Your system that draws 120W is, at 105 V, pulling 1.14 A. For that to cause an 11V drop in the house wiring means that you have a 10 ohm resistance somewhere in your wiring.

More to the point, including all loads, that resistor is dropping 15 V (120V to 105 V), generating V^2/R = 17.9 W of heat somewhere inside your walls. That's a fire hazard.

You can use an extension cord from a different circuit on the same phase to see if the voltage drop is on the neutral (white) or hot (black) wire.

When you find the connection that, when tightened, makes the problem go away, then take it apart and clean it thoroughly before reconnecting it properly.